


Act II: Pride

by KitiaraM



Series: Kaja Hawke [9]
Category: Dragon Age
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-27
Updated: 2011-05-27
Packaged: 2017-11-20 07:37:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 984
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/582906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KitiaraM/pseuds/KitiaraM





	Act II: Pride

Varric entered the main hall, surprised to find no one there. No Bodahn, Sandal... even Sandy was absent. He didn't visit Hawke at the mansion often, but usually Bodahn at least was ready to greet visitors. Sandy might be at the barracks 'training' recruits, but.... Just as he was about to call out, he heard a muffled sound. It appeared to issue from the parlor, where he could see that the door was just barely ajar. Usually it stood wide open. The lack of people, the door, that sound -- something was wrong. 

He carefully unhooked Bianca and held her at the ready. Hawke had made a lot of enemies, and it was quite possible someone had decided to take revenge. Sidling over to the parlor door, he peered in, and froze. Hawke stood in front of the empty fireplace, leaning her head against her crossed arms on the mantle. As he watched, her shoulders heaved with a silent sob. 

Without even thinking he backed away as quietly as he'd approached. It wasn't until he was already a step into the foyer that he hesitated, putting Bianca away as he considered. He couldn't just leave; he was her friend, he should help her! But his first instinct had been right; she wouldn't want anyone to see her like that. What in blazes had happened to her?

"Oh, messere, I'm so sorry!" He jumped at Bodahn's voice behind him. The other dwarf was hurrying toward him, apparently just coming from the kitchen. "I was showing the new servant around. Orana, I think she said her name was. She said she was from Tevinter, imagine that!"

Varric realized he was talking about the elf girl they'd rescued in the slaver cave. "Oh, yeah. Is she, uh, all right?" He kept his eyes on Bodahn, away from the parlor door.

"She seems so, yes. Rather shy, though."

Varric was only half paying attention to the conversation, still preoccupied with Hawke. Perhaps something had happened to her mother, or Bethany?

"I imagine Mistress Leandra will appreciate the extra help?" he asked casually.

"Oh, she's off visiting her brother. I didn't know that we needed another servant. I hope Mistress Hawke isn't displeased with my work." Bodahn looked worried.

Varric hastened to reassure him. "I know she's very happy having you here, Bodahn, you and Sandal. She often says she doesn't know what she'd do without you. This girl, Orana, well, she was a slave to a magister. The magister, um, died, and she had nowhere to go, so Hawke offered her a job here. You know Hawke; she likes to pretend she's tough as nails but she's really a softie."

Bodahn's expression cleared and Varric could see that Orana had just passed from a threat to his position, to someone to be protected. Before the manservant could reply however, Hawke's voice interrupted.

"Varric, you can't go around telling people I'm a soft touch. Everyone will start expecting me to do jobs for them out of the goodness of my heart, I'll go broke, and then who'll buy your drinks?"

He turned as Kaja crossed the room. He responded automatically as he searched her face. Were her eyes red? "Now, Hawke, you know I run my own tab."

"Oh yes, and you keep promising to put me on it, but you never do." She mock-glared at him. "So, you never come here unless you need something. What's up?"

All business, of course. "Well, you said we were going to go talk to the Arishok today. You didn't forget, didja?" Hawke didn't forget things like that. But she had. Something was really wrong.

She waved dismissively. "I was just trying to put it off. All those Qunari staring at us, and the Arishok is a bit nerve-wracking. And it stinks in there." She wrinkled her nose. "But I'm almost ready."

"Blondie's probably waiting on us. Not sure about Fenris." He rubbed his chin. "After that Hadriana crap went down, he probably finished off the rest of Danarius' wine."

She turned away just a hair too casually and his attention sharpened. "Oh, yeah," she said over her shoulder, picking up a letter from the desk and studying it. "He stopped by to apologize for leaving us like that."

"Last night?" Varric dug a little bit, smelling a story. "So he's okay?"

She shrugged. "You know Fenris. 'Blah blah, poor me, magic ruined my life, you don't understand, blah blah." Ever alert to nuances, he thought he detected a hint of bitterness in her voice. What else had Fenris said? Or done? She went on, "We might want to give him some time to be all broody by himself for a while. Besides, I think Aveline has been feeling a bit left out."

He chuckled. "So instead of Blondie and broody sniping at each other, we'll have Blondie and Aveline sniping at each other? Wonderful!" Bingo. She seldom called on Aveline for help; she didn't like taking her away from her guard duties. So for some reason she didn't want Fenris around.

She finally turned back to him; her grin probably looked normal if you didn't know her as well as Varric did. "Well, you wouldn't know what to do if someone wasn't arguing with someone."

"True, true. Well, I can go get her while you get ready." And maybe make a little side trip; he was itching to go see what Fenris had to say.

She shook her head, heading for the stairs. "Just let me get my daggers and I'm good to go." He cursed mentally but just nodded.

As they set across Hightown to the Keep, he hoped this Arishok business wouldn't take long. He needed to go see what the broody elf had to say for himself. It really wasn't any of his business, but when had that ever stopped him? He always had to know the whole story.


End file.
